Welcome back 311 nation! Another week has arrived so that can only mean it’s time for the next fan spotlight. This week let’s meet the awesome Carmen Taydus!
Summer was the season and the year was 1996. Carmen was just shy of her sixteenth birthday and she had gone to visit her sister at college. She didn’t have cable at home so while at her sisters, she was glued to MTV. “When I saw (and heard) “Down” for the first time, I was hooked. I remember thinking, “WTF is going on in this video?” and “What does 3-1-1 even mean?” I watched MTV all day just to see that video over and over and over again.” Upon returning home she discovered that her friend already had the blue album and she made a copy to cassette for Carmen. They wore that album out and then discovered Music and Grassroots, then Transistor came out. “I loved that they didn’t sound like anything else at the time – they rocked, they rapped, they made weird instrumental noises, and they had such good energy at their show. I think it was the merging of rock and rap that initially made me fall in love.”
First time Carmen saw the band live was 1997. She lost track of her exact show tally but believes she is somewhere in the 20-30 range. Favorite show so far she said is a tie between the first time she saw them and the last time. “Ask me again after my next show and I’ll probably say the same. It’s always a good time at a 311 show!”
The song “It’s Alright” means a lot to Carmen and has helped her through some tough times. “Whenever I’m doubting anything, down on life, or just questioning why, “It’s Alright’ makes me feel better (I tell you it’s alright, that’s where you’re supposed to be now). I recently lost my job and was brought to tears when this song played on shuffle. It’s kind of like the saying “everything happens for a reason” mixed with the essence of a higher being and the positivity of knowing that everything is going according to plan and it’s going to get better.” Some of her favorite quotes come from various songs and include, “I always say what I feel and that is a promise, nothing in life is above being honest,” “When I look at you it’s like praying with my eyes,” and “You’re all up in my mix like fuckin’ Betty Crocker.”
A small town in northwestern Pennsylvania is where Carmen was born, then she moved to Cary, North Carolina in Kindergarten. Then in third grade she moved to a home built from scratch in Pittsboro, N.C. “Literally everything from stacking blocks and pouring concrete for the basement foundation to putting up drywall to running electricity and plumbing to the shingles on the roof. My dad says to this day I’m the best concrete mixer ever – haha. It was actually a fun learning experience and I get crazy nostalgic whenever I go to Home Depot.”
Carmen attended UNC Asheville after high school for just three semesters before leaving to go to film school at Full Sail in Winter Park, Florida. She got her degree then moved to Kennesaw, Georgia with some friends where she tried to break into the film and video business. Unfortunately she was unsuccessful, but said she made this awesome rap video about their cats with an old camera lens (you can see the video here: https://youtu.be/ZMJpTpQg2wM ). Carmen ended up moving back to North Carolina, first with her parents, then to Wilmington. It was there that she finally quit trying to get into the film business. She is now living in Asheville where she has been for the last 10 years. She was just laid off from her Social Media Manager job in December and is now looking for her next adventure and possibly a new town. “I’m single with no kids, so nothing is tying my down! As long as I can bring my dog and cat with me, I’m good. 🙂 I’ve never been to a 311 Day or on a 311 cruise – I’ve never been able to afford it….so I’m hoping my next job pays me very well and I’m able to afford all the 311 events I want to attend and all the 311 Christmas sweaters I want to wear!”
Some interesting facts you may not know about Carmen – her family is super Republican and thinks she is too, but she hates politics and if she told them she was a democrat it would be a HUGE conversation she doesn’t want to have! She also keeps buying albums on vinyl…but doesn’t own a record player. She also used to write and has a couple of notebooks chock full of weird stuff! Her secret talent is that she can do a mean Mickey Mouse impersonation! “I only do it for close friends and family and they tell me it’s pretty terrible. But I do it anyway because it makes people laugh.”
A few other artists she’s in to are Twenty One Pilots (one of her faves since seeing them live a few years ago), Atmosphere, Grouplove, Capital Cities, Sublime, RATM, RHCP, The Beatles, The Sheepdogs, Dirty Heads, RDGLDGRN, Wiz Khalifa, Justin Bieber (She said, “Yes, I’m a middle-aged woman, I know”), MisterWives, Modest Mouse, Lil Wayne, Trombone Shorty, Weezer, Tegan & Sara, Cam Meekins, Coldplay, N.E.R.D., Nirvana, Steve Martin & Edie Brickell, Brett Dennan, 2 Skinnee J’s. Guilty pleasure is that she loves watching American Idol. “It makes me cry, like happy tears, when people from random backgrounds have amazing talent and their families get so excited for them.”
Carmen’s message to 311 is: “I’m so happy you all found each other and thank you for staying positive and humble over all these years!”
Finally, her words to all the other fans out there:
“The world is a crazy place – let’s remember to stay positive and spread the love – it’s contagious! Hope to see y’all at a show in the near future!”
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That’s Carmen’s story my friends! I loved sharing her tale and hope you enjoyed it as well. Thank you, as usual, for reading about a fellow fan! Now go spread that love like Carmen said. Until we meet again…
Much love – The Runt